Zenith Bank to Host 10th Trade Seminar on Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Growth

Zenith Bank Plc will host the 10th edition of its International Trade Seminar on Non-Oil Export on August 25, 2026, bringing together policymakers, regulators, exporters, manufacturers and investors to discuss strategies for expanding Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

The virtual event, themed “Unlocking Value and Harnessing Growth in Non-Oil Export,” will focus on strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to move beyond raw commodity exports towards value-added products capable of competing in regional and international markets.

Discussions will cover export financing, trade infrastructure, market access, regulation, customs and port efficiency as well as measures needed to develop stronger value chains across the country’s non-oil economy.

The seminar comes as Nigeria continues efforts to diversify its foreign exchange earnings and reduce the economy’s longstanding dependence on crude oil exports.

A major part of the conversation will focus on opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area and how Nigerian businesses can improve their competitiveness to participate more effectively in the expanding African market.

AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene is among the guest speakers scheduled for the event.

Other speakers include Plot Enterprise Ghana Limited Chief Executive Officer Patricia Poku-Diaby and former African Export-Import Bank President and Chairman Benedict Oramah.

The seminar will feature separate public and private sector panels examining some of the constraints affecting Nigeria’s export competitiveness.

Public-sector participants include NEXIM Bank Managing Director Abba Bello, Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi, Central Bank of Nigeria Director of Trade and Exchange Aderinola Shonekan, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Executive Secretary Aisha Rimi and Nigerian Export Promotion Council Executive Director Nonye Ayeni.

Private-sector participants will include executives from Starlink Global & Ideal Limited, Dangote Group, 3T Impex Trade Centre, Terra Aqua Environmental Consultancy Nigeria Limited, RMM Global and Lelook Nigeria Limited.

The discussions are expected to examine how access to financing, logistics, regulation and trade facilitation can be improved to enable Nigerian businesses to reach more international customers.

Particular attention will be given to value addition, an area considered critical to increasing the economic returns Nigeria generates from agricultural and other non-oil commodities.

Rather than relying predominantly on exports of raw products, developing domestic processing and manufacturing capacity could allow businesses to capture a greater proportion of the value generated along international supply chains.

Zenith Bank has positioned its annual trade seminar as a platform connecting businesses with policymakers, regulators and financial institutions involved in Nigeria’s international trade ecosystem.

The bank has also worked with the AfCFTA Secretariat on initiatives aimed at facilitating cross-border commerce and improving access to opportunities across African markets.

Now in its tenth edition, the seminar will seek to identify practical measures that could help Nigerian exporters overcome financing, infrastructure and market-access constraints while taking advantage of regional economic integration.

The August 25 event will be held virtually and streamed across several digital platforms, allowing businesses and other participants within and outside Nigeria to participate.